I Blog for Liberation!

Yes, it is a fact that the nearly 50,000 children that attend Orleans Parish Public Schools need community people that can speak for the community. There is an overwhelming amount of children in my community who live in poverty and who need a voice to carry their plight to the spaces and conversations where they normally don’t exist.

It is important to me that at one time or another in my life I am empowered to speak diligently on the side of righteousness. There is an urge in me to activate my moral compass and subscribe to the high values instilled in me to speak out and give a voice to others.

This obligation I feel calls me to be more than the average citizen but a neighbor, friend, and fellow citizen who opinion and voice matters.

Recently, this question was posed to me, “Why Do I Write?”

To be perfectly honest with you, it comes from a self–preserving state of mind. I have always enjoyed writing and I did it for my personal growth before being extended the opportunity to write for Secondlineblog.org.

Writing is a liberating way torepresent one’s personal story and take account of other people’s stories.

Also, taking it from an education perspective, I can tell you firsthand that if you don’t control the narrative and tell your side of the story then other versions will be floating around out there and they more than likely won’t be indicative of your point of view.

But getting back to the self–serving reason I write…it offers a depth of liberation for me which is highlighted in a quote from one of my heroes Fannie Lou Hamer. Ms. Hamer says:

“When I liberate myself, I liberate others. If you don’t speak out ain’t nobody going to speak out for you.”

There is a definite freedom garnered when you speak up and out for yourself and on behalf of others, not to mention the level of respect and admiration you get even from those opposing you.

I blog for liberation, freedom, and respect.

Many times lifting your voice and illuminating the unjust treatment and situations of society is just what is needed to get action in motion surrounding a particular subject. When those who are placed in power forget who they are there to represent, sometimes one has to find creative ways to get their attention. Maybe it’s a blog, a strategically timed email, or a visit to a board meeting that is needed.

Yet another one of my heroes, Septima Clark, eloquently speaks of this type of action:

“I just tried to create a little chaos. Chaos is a good thing. God created the world out of it. Change is what comes of it.”

When those who are in opposition to you fail to acknowledge your worth or act as if they don’t see you or your plight, a little disruption to their normalcy is just the vivid light that is needed for them to begin to get their vision back.

I blog to upend their train of thought and complacency.

A time comes when even the most docile individual has had enough. When my well–being, the basic way of living for my family and the sanctity of my community is in question, I know if we don’t stand our ground—whether it be verbally, mentally, emotionally or socially—change won’t come. A line has to be drawn in the sand when enough is enough.

Stokely Carmichael painted the picture with his words:

“Our grandfathers had to run, run, run. My generation is out of breath we ain’t running no more.”

When all is said and done, they will be able to say that Lamont Douglas spoke up for himself, his family, his community and those who may have been weaker and less fortunate than him. I write and lift my voice to hopefully create a spark and to spark others.

If at least one is helped by my voice, then I have succeeded. I write to create a dialogue and to control the narrative of stories in my community. I write to shine a light on the beauty in our community that others don’t acknowledge but is the true definition of what we are, who we are and what we represent.